Caribbean diplomats and officials have sharply disagreed over the meaning of a small piece of state-worn jewelry amid a long-running border fight between Guyana and Venezuela.
The dispute flared after Guyana raised concerns with regional leaders following a trip by Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez, the Associated Press reported. During official visits, Rodríguez wore a pin that depicted the map of Essequibo, the resources-rich region that makes up about two-thirds of Guyana’s territory and that Venezuela has long claimed.
According to the AP report, the pin’s symbolism has appeared more often in Venezuelan government messaging in recent months, including state television anchors, lawmakers, and members of the ruling party. The AP linked that uptick to developments after the U.S.-run raid that seized Nicolás Maduro in early January.
Guyanese President Irfaan Ali then wrote to Terrance Drew, the prime minister of St. Kitts and Nevis and chairman of Caricom, raising what he said was a risk that Rodríguez’s pin could be interpreted as endorsement by her hosts. Ali told the region that the pin asserts “Venezuela’s claim to Guyana’s territory,” and he warned that the use of such a symbol during official engagements could be misconstrued as “acquiescence or tolerance.”
Ali also argued that Caricom’s “principled support for Guyana must be reflected not only in declarations but in the context and conduct of official engagements,” and he urged that Venezuela not be allowed to display symbols and maps of Essequibo in a way he said would undermine the case before the International Court of Justice in the Netherlands. He added that Caricom has “unequivocally” supported Guyana’s claim to the region at key meetings.
For her part, Rodríguez questioned what Ali described as the focus on her attire. She said Tuesday the pin reflects “the only map of Venezuela that I’ve known in my life,” and she reiterated Venezuela’s claim to Essequibo. Rodríguez expressed confidence that the international court would “ratify our historic stance.”
The AP report said Ali’s concerns followed Rodríguez’s visits to Barbados on Monday and earlier, to Grenada in April. Rodríguez’s first overseas trip since taking over after Maduro’s seizure was among the occasions that drew attention to the pin.
After Ali’s letter, Caricom issued a statement acknowledging receipt and urging member states to separate diplomacy from attempts at shaping the dispute’s legal course. Caricom said official “platforms and engagements should not be used, whether directly or indirectly, to advance or appear to legitimize claims that are the subject of ongoing judicial proceedings.”
Caricom reiterated what it called “longstanding and unequivocal support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana,” and it also emphasized “the peaceful resolution of the controversy.” The organization did not respond in the AP report with detail on how it plans to enforce the guidance, but its statement directly addressed the use of public messaging during official travel.
The underlying dispute centers on Venezuela’s argument that a 1899 international boundaries commission cheated it out of the Essequibo area during British colonial rule. Guyana says the matter is already before the International Court of Justice, and Ali’s letter indicates Guyana wants the region to avoid gestures that could imply a shift before the court rules.
In recent years, the AP report also described incidents involving Venezuela sending gunboats to U.S.-run offshore oilfields licensed by Guyana, demanding that oil production there be halted—an effort that Guyana’s rigs have ignored. In Caracas, the AP said government officials could not be reached immediately for comment.